Zachary Almec
Zach Almec 'is a former con-man and member of the The Dark Avengers. Origins Zach was born to a Salopian father and Lupaian mother during the Republic of Shropshire's occupation of southern Lupaia. He grew up in near-poverty, relying on sleight-of-hand and charisma to get by. These skills very quickly got him into the grift, and he eventually became a career criminal. Zach stopped choosing victims indiscriminately once he was able to get by and started accepting jobs based on the mark's past - those he felt had earned their fortunes illegitimately or used them to victimise others were primed to be taken for everything they had. He built a small team around himself in order to run more complex cons, including longtime friend and associate Lucas Treadwell and, anonymously and only on occasion, The Shade. The group fell apart while running a con on David Kerrigan, a former employer of Treadwell's who had build a business empire on repossessing the homes of the poor. After successfully infiltrating Kerrigan's business - which on Zach's part involved getting close to his receptionist to gain them access - Treadwell deviated from the plan. They had always intended to take Kerrigan for everything they could, but when Treadwell pulled a gun on him Zach had to stop him. The job fell apart and Lucas was arrested, though his claims that he was part of a larger conspiracy fell on deaf ears. Feeling they were too close to being caught, Zach dismantled his team. Zach attempted to start a new life and started a relationship with Kerrigan's receptionist, but this lasted less than a year before her murder pulled him back into the game again. This time Zach worked alone, again only stealing from those he felt deserved it. A week before the departure of the Ark he performed what he hoped would once again be his last con, stealing an Ark pass from a notoriously sleazy Novakerozian politician. On Barvos Zach negotiated several large cons, most notably acquiring the last Kanish seal of office by posing as a historian. This was stolen hours later by the Shade, who he had beaten to the theft by barely a day. Notable Cons *'A Study of Stahlian Might: Hired to steal priceless Stahlian statue from the Diamond family by a shady Stahlian. Turned it down because he respected the Diamons and stole from his would-be client instead. Wishes he had stolen the statue now he's heard how much grief it caused Helena's family. *'David Kerrigan's Fortune:' A con organised as a favour to Lucas he tried to kill the mark - Zach stopped him, but their friendship crumbled. After this job Zach retired and tried to setle down with his new partner, but the relationship didn't last long. *'The Last Seal of Kanish Office:' Stolen from the Grand Caliph in order to ransom it back to him at an inflated price. Partly for bragging rights, partly because it's Kanish. Stolen hours later by The Shade, who he had beaten to the theft by 24 hours. Powers Ascendancy *'Warpfire': Zach can create and manipulate magical warpfire, which is capable of damaging allies and enemies alike. Demons are particularly vulnerable. *'Banishment': Allows Zach to banish objects or people to The Warp. When used offensively this causes instant death and temporarily replaces the victim with a lesser demon under Zach's control. Quotes *''I'm not a thief; thieves steal things while people aren't looking. Con-men convince people to hand them over with a smile on their face.'' Category:Dark Avengers